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Friday, September 30, 2005

A New Day


Will miracles never cease? The heat wave is finally over, and all my relatives still have their homes. Not all intact mind you, but they all still stand. As evidenced from the picture above, there are very few trees left in my grandmother's yard, since most of them landed on her house. Thankfully, she, my mom, my stepdad, my brother and his wife were all here with me "hunkering down" for the storm. I was one of the (insert adjective here) ones who decided to stay in Houston and ride it out, avoiding getting caught sitting on the freeway for countless hours in 100 degree heat with no food, bathroom, water, or gas.

We are all now one big happy family in my not-so-large accomodations until they can restore power and allow the SE Texas residents back into their homes. My place is also currently home to 2 cats and 3 dogs. I am happy to have them here, and I'm so glad they didn't stay there during the storm. We are the lucky ones, however - they know their situation is temporary, and there will be insurance money to replace the holes in their ceilings, and for the most part, almost all their belongings were spared, not scattered to the winds or looted by soulless people. It is an eye-opener to experience the previous hurricane through those who aren't as lucky. Take a look: Operation Eden

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Hurricane Rita Drinking Game

Most of my family is from the Beaumont area, so I can afford to joke about it. They all made it through okay, though we don't know how everyone's homes fared. I guess we'll see when they can all return home. Until then, we are having fun watching the footage and laughing at the anchormen.

Take a sip when:
1. Anyone loses a hat while standing in 50+ mph winds.
2. Anyone loses the feed and cuts to someone who has no idea they are on TV.
3. Anyone finds someone toothless to interview about "riding out the storm"

Take a big gulp when:
1. Anyone says "hunker down"
2. Anyone says "this place is like a ghost town"
3. Geraldo Rivera finally shows up on Fox News

We are all drunk now. Happy hurricaning!

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Modern Day Atlantis

It puts things into perspective when you are going through a rough period in your own life and then something like Hurricane Katrina happens right in your own area - you become less focused on your own problems, and grateful for what you do have. It is heart-wrenching to see what has happened to these people, and I'm living with it every day because most of them have come here to my city. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you who have been affected by this tragedy, and I'm so glad to live in a city so full of people who are willing to go above and beyond to help others in need.